Austin Edwin Fife (December 18, 1909 – February 7, 1986) and Alta Stevens Fife (March 16, 1912 – December 8, 1996), were a married couple of Folklorists from Utah who studied and preservation of American Western and Mormon folklore. Their work is commemorated through the Fife Folklore Archives, the Fife Folklore Conference, and the Fife Honor Lecture at Utah State University (USU).

The Fifes were involved in the study of folkloristics in Utah. They met at Utah State University and began folklore research together in the late 1930s while living in California. There, Austin was a graduate student at Stanford University and served as a research assistant to Aurelio Espinosa, Sr., a professor of Hispanic-American folklore.Lloyd, Barbara. 2004. “Lessons of Summer: The Fife Folklore Conference.” Folklore in Utah: A History and Guide to Resources. Edited by David Stanley. Logan, Utah State University Press. 230–39.

In 1960, the Fifes settled in Logan, Utah. Austin began teaching French and Folklore at USU. The Fifes donated their collection of folklore research to USU’s Merrill-Cazier Library in 1966. This collection was later renamed the Fife Folklore Archives and has been described as “one of a number of leading research facilities that acquire, preserve and make available the materials in folklore fields”.“History: Fife Folklore Archives .” Utah State University. Web. Accessed 14 November 2011.

William A. Wilson continued Austin Fife's work by joining the faculty at USU.Wilson, William A. 2006 . “Building Bridges: Folklore in the Academy.” The Marrow of Human Experience: Essays on Folklore, edited by Jill T. Rudy. Logan: Utah State University Press. 23–31. Wilson also established the Fife Honor Lecture to pay tribute to folklorists. Later, the lectures were directed by Barre Toelken and "extended to include anyone who was doing interesting work in folklore or folklore-related fields”.

Publications

“Saints of Sage and Saddle by the Fifes is considered a comprehensive treatment of Mormon folklore”.Terry Rudy, Jill. 2004. “Mormon Folklore Studies.” Folklore in Utah: A History and Guide to Resources. Edited by David Stanley. Logan, Utah State University Press. 142–52.

See also Three Nephites

References

Further reading

External links Fife Slide Collection of Western U.S. Vernacular Architecture: Utah State University Photos of Alta and Austin Fife from the Utah Folklorist Image Collection, Digital Collection: Utah State University